When the Snow Falls
by Alley Cat Sunflower
Summary: Snowpaw, soon to be Snowfall, receives a prophecy from Brambleberry of a time of coming strife… that SHE will cause somehow! RiverClan-centric, set more than five years after The Last Hope. K-plus for probably blood later. Warning: Comprised mostly of original characters. *SUSPENDED.*
1. Allegiances

**THUNDERCLAN**

**Leader: **Ivystar _(Birchfall & Whitewing's daughter) _– silver-and-white tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes

**Deputy: **Ashflower _(Brambleclaw & Squirrelflight's daughter) _– light gray tabby she-cat with amber eyes

**Medicine Cat: **Embertail _(Tigerheart & Dovewing's son) _– brown tabby tom with blue eyes

**Warriors: **Lilybrook _(Brackenfur & Sorreltail's daughter) _– dark gray tabby she-cat with white patches

Seedsprout _(Brackenfur & Sorreltail's daughter) _– very pale ginger she-cat with amber eyes

Dewleaf _(Cloudtail & Brightheart's son) _– gray tom with amber eyes

Firewing _(Brambleclaw & Squirrelflight's daughter) _– ginger she-cat with green eyes

Fernmist _(Lionblaze & Cinderheart's daughter) _– gray she-cat with green eyes

Raggedwhisker _(Lilybrook's son) _– brown tom with a white patch on his chest and blue eyes

Lightningfang – dark brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

Spottedbelly _(Lilybrook's son) _– golden tabby tom with a spotted belly and blue eyes

Whitefur _(Ambereyes's son) _– white tom with yellow eyes

Redfeather – dark ginger she-cat with blue eyes

**Apprentices:** Sunpaw _(Dewleaf's apprentice) _– golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Wildpaw _(Firewing's apprentice) _– gray tabby tom with blue eyes

Leafpaw _(Seedsprout's apprentice) _– dark tortoiseshell she-cat with blue eyes

Stormpaw _(Lilybrook's daughter; Fernmist's apprentice) _– golden tabby she-cat with blue eyes

**Queens: **Ambereyes _(Cloudtail & Brightheart's daughter) _– gray she-cat with white markings and amber eyes

**Kits: **Thornkit _(Ambereyes's daughter) _– golden she-kit with amber eyes

**Elders: **Cherrybreeze _(Berrynose & Poppyfrost's daughter) _– ginger she-cat with yellow eyes

Molefur _(Berrynose & Poppyfrost's son) _– brown-and-cream tom with yellow eyes

**WINDCLAN**

**Leader: **Boulderstar – large pale gray tom with blue eyes

**Deputy: **Rushwhisker – light ginger she-cat with amber eyes

**Medicine Cat: **Weedpetal – ginger-and-white she-cat with green eyes

**Warriors: **Sheepfur – off-white tom with yellow eyes

Vinestem – brown tabby tom with green eyes

Sunnyface – golden-and-white she-cat with blue eyes

Smokewater _(Rushwhisker's son) _– gray tom with blue eyes

Mooneyes – silvery she-cat with light blue eyes

Runningstorm _(Rushwhisker's son) _– gray tabby tom with white markings and green eyes

Cloudheart _(Rushwhisker's son) _– gray-and-white splotched tom with green eyes

Scorchcloud – black-and-white tom with amber eyes

Featherbreeze – golden she-cat with a white underbelly and blue eyes

Dawnbird _(Fallowflower's daughter) _– light gray tabby she-cat with amber eyes

**Apprentices:**

Poppypaw _(Weedpetal's apprentice) _– golden-and-white she-cat with yellow eyes

Flowerpaw _(Sunnyface's apprentice) _– black-and-gray spotted she-cat with yellow eyes

Crowpaw _(Sheepfur's apprentice) _– dark gray tom with amber eyes

Morningpaw _(Fallowflower's daughter; Rushwhisker's apprentice) _– brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes

**Queens: **Fallowflower – light brown tabby she-cat with yellow eyes

**Kits: **Swallowkit _(Fallowflower's daughter) _– light brown she-cat with amber eyes

**Elders: **Whiskernose – light brown tom

**SHADOWCLAN**

**Leader: **Ferretstar – cream-and-gray tom with green eyes

**Deputy: **Addertail – light gray tom with amber eyes

**Medicine Cat: **Darkfeather – black she-cat with dark blue eyes

**Warriors: **Eagletalon – light gray and white tom with blue eyes

Icelake – white she-cat with yellow eyes

Nettlefang – gray tabby tom with amber eyes

Flintclaw – dark gray tom with green eyes

Ripplespots – golden-and-brown spotted tom with amber eyes

Duskflower – dark brown tabby she-cat with a white chest and blue eyes

Hailmoon – dark gray tabby she-cat with a white underbelly and blue eyes

Thistlestem – brown-and-white tom with yellow eyes

Dapplecloud – tortoiseshell she-cat with white markings and yellow eyes

**Apprentices: **Stoneface _(Darkfeather's apprentice) _– gray tom with yellow eyes

Graypaw _(Nettlefang's apprentice) _– very dark gray tabby tom with lighter gray splotches and amber eyes

Owlpaw _(Flintclaw's apprentice) _– brown tabby and white tom with yellow eyes

Brookpaw _(Icelake's apprentice) _– dark tortoiseshell she-cat with yellow eyes

Robinpaw _(Eagletalon's apprentice) _– ginger-and-gray tom with amber eyes

**Elders:** Starlingwing – ginger tom with green eyes

**RIVERCLAN**

**Leader: **Rushstar – light brown tabby tom with green eyes

**Deputy: **Hollowflight – dark brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

**Medicine Cat: **Willowshine – gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes

**Warriors: **Nightstrike – black she-cat with blue eyes

Hawksong – dark brown and white tom with blue eyes

Rainstream – golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Talonfoot – brown and white tom with yellow eyes

Foxears – reddish-brown tom with foxlike markings and amber eyes

Hollytooth – black she-cat with yellow eyes

Tallfire – brown tabby tom with a white chest and yellow eyes

Swiftstep – gray tabby tom with a white underbelly, white paws, and amber eyes

**Apprentices: **Snowpaw _(Willowshine's apprentice) _– white she-cat with yellow eyes

Briarpaw _(Nightstrike's apprentice) _– brown tabby she-cat with green eyes

**Elders: **Robinwing – tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes

Grasspelt – light brown tom with green eyes

**((Note: I will probably update Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday but may deviate, depending.))**


	2. Prologue

The lean, thick-furred brown tabby approached the RiverClan camp, head whirling with the weight of responsibility. As soon as the little white she-kit had been born, he had known she was going to change the forest, so he had claimed the duty of looking after her. Now, he was beginning to regret that choice.

The Clans had been at peace now for many moons, and the entirety of StarClan fretted that their descendants would forget how to fight, that they would become nothing more than kittypets. No border disputes caused tension; no lack of prey made one Clan blame another; no Clan found the need to take territory from another.

And yet an atmosphere of distrust was thickening, not between the Clans themselves, but between StarClan and the earthbound Clans. They no longer trusted even the medicine cats to maintain the old way of Clan life: hunting and fighting for survival. It had gotten to the point where they were beginning to hope for harder times. Then at least, it would remind the cats what Clan life was really about.

"Crookedstar!" hissed a voice. "What are you doing?"

A black-and-white spotted she-cat with piercing blue eyes stepped out from the reeds, making barely a rustle as the stars in her fur glimmered angrily. "You cannot tell her now," she growled. "She's too young."

"I took responsibility for her, not you, Brambleberry," replied Crookedstar, looking over his shoulder but not stopping. "I will decide when to tell her. The sooner she knows what she can do, the better."

"It's not like the Three," snapped Brambleberry, loping after him. "She has no special power. She just has a destiny to follow, like _every_ cat, and this one just happens to lead to trou—"

"All for the best!" interrupted Crookedstar, stopping and whirling around. "Brambleberry, sometimes I think you forget that our warriors are becoming soft. Maybe if the kit knows that she is destined to bring about a war, she'll do it willingly instead of stumble into it like a clumsy mouse."

"Since when has destiny ever worked like that?" demanded Brambleberry, searching his desperate eyes with her furious ones. "She's too young, and deep down, you know it. If you're planning on telling her now because you're too impatient to wait it out, I'll just take charge of her training myself." Her eyes blazed with a challenge that Crookedstar immediately deferred to. If the medicine cat wanted to influence the kit, fine. Less to worry about for him.

"Fine!" hissed Crookedstar. "Lead our Clans even further down the road of peace. May they all destroy themselves because of their softness!" He hung his head, knowing his words were only made more bitter by his own bitter past.

"I know you're frustrated," began Brambleberry in a conciliatory tone, but Crookedstar didn't stick around to hear her explanation, only returned to his home in the stars.

_Brambleberry can tell the kit when she's ready if she likes, but by then, I fear it will be too late._

**((Well, did you like it? Did you hate it? Do you not care? Please do whatever it is you do to show support or criticize constructively!))**


	3. Chapter 1

"I, Willowshine, medicine cat of RiverClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of a medicine cat, and with your help she will serve her Clan for many moons. Snowpaw, do you promise to uphold the ways of a medicine cat, to stand apart from the rivalry between Clan and Clan, and to protect all cats equally, even at the cost of your life?"

Snowpaw shifted her paws uncomfortably. She had been waiting for this moment since she had become Willowshine's apprentice, but now that it was here, she wasn't sure whether she was ready to commit to a full-time job as a medicine cat. It was true that the Clans had lived in peace for many a moon, but who knew whether that would change? She didn't want to have to attend her Clanmates, wounded or dying. She was scared, and that was the simple truth of it. _I'm a coward, _she snapped at herself as her voice mewed tremulously, "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your true name as a medicine cat," responded Willowshine, oblivious to her apprentice's internal conflict. "Snowpaw, from this moment you will be known as Snowfall. StarClan honors your loyalty and your courage.

"Rise and drink from the pool," commanded Willowshine, and Snowfall obeyed, feeling herself sink into the void of dreams almost instantaneously. Though her mind always automatically fought the trance caused by the waters of the Moonpool, it succumbed a moment later to the silent power of starlight.

Now she stood by the waters of the lake, frozen over with glimmering ice. Snowfall puzzled over its meaning; in the waking world, it was early newleaf and the lake had already thawed. Besides, didn't StarClan dwell in eternal greenleaf? Was the forest in trouble again? She had heard the elders' stories of the invasion of the forest by the cats in the Place of No Stars, and how leafbare had gripped StarClan in its deathly hold.

"Welcome, Snowfall," greeted the voice of Brambleberry, the medicine cat who seemed to have taken it upon herself to be the young apprentice's guide. "You seem troubled, dear one." She paused before continuing, "If there is anything I can do, I would be glad to help you…"

"I don't know, Brambleberry," sighed Snowfall, scuffing her paws against the ground. "I thought I was meant to be a medicine cat, but… I'm having my doubts. I have a good head for herbs, and I know how to heal. I love StarClan and I have no need of a mate. But… I don't know if I could face a wounded or dying Clanmate. Their blood would stain my paws if I failed!" _And, my claws itch to fight, _she added inwardly. But there was no need for Brambleberry to know that.

"Which you won't," purred Brambleberry reassuringly. "We chose you for a reason."

"I know." Snowfall glanced across the lake again; gray clouds were swirling across the sky, and it looked like a storm was about to descend upon the starry forest. "What's all this? Is the Place of No Stars attacking again?" She struggled to keep her fur flat. Flights of fancy sometimes took her imagination to the point where she panicked, and she didn't want that to happen in the sight of StarClan.

"No, dear one," replied Brambleberry, but her voice had taken on an unusual seriousness. "That is an omen for you."

Snowfall didn't know where to turn her eyes. "Is RiverClan in trouble?"

A few icy flakes drifted down from the sky. Brambleberry approached and breathed softly, breath hanging in the frigid air, "_When the snow falls from the clouds, strife will seize the Clans._" Her form dissolved abruptly into the mist of her breath and Snowfall jolted awake with a gasp, realizing with humiliation that she was the last to awaken and that all the other medicine cats were looking at her with alarm.

"What?" she demanded, giving her fur a couple hasty licks. "I'm fine!"

"If you're sure," shrugged Stoneface, the ShadowClan apprentice, and the medicine cats quietly turned their paws towards home. Snowfall's ears were full of her prophecy and she was giving it some silent reflection when a paw nearly bowled her over.

She looked up to see Willowshine staring down at her with concern on her face. "You're unusually quiet tonight. Did something important happen?"

"N-no," responded Snowfall, knowing she was a terrible liar. "Everything's… fine."

"If it concerns RiverClan's safety, I need to know." Her mentor peered at her closely, and Snowfall felt hot under her pure white pelt. However old Willowshine was, she was still sharp. Besides, she wouldn't be retiring for awhile. Snowfall was no replacement and everyone knew it.

"It's _fine_," insisted Snowfall uncomfortably. "I'll tell you if anything else happens."

"See that you do." She padded on, leaving Snowfall behind to wonder at the meaning of Brambleberry's prophecy.

Strange dreams troubled Snowfall that night as her subconscious tried to think of the prophecy. The references to falling snow could only be speaking of her, but what did the rest of it mean? What would she do that could possibly endanger all the Clans?

She woke up just before dawn and stretched, feeling fully rested despite her few hours of sleep. Slipping out of camp, Snowfall wandered along the creek, lapping up a few sips of clear, cold water here and there before settling at the edge of the lake and watching the sun rise slowly above the horizon.

The next thing she knew, her best friend Tallfire was standing over her, prodding her side. "Wake up," he said, not bothering to be quiet or gentle. "I got assigned to the dawn patrol, and what do I find? A lazy little medicine cat sleeping the day away! What's your name, anyway? Snow_flower_?"

Snowfall was in no joking mood as she sat up and drew a paw over her ears. "Snowfall. Tallfire," she said quietly. "I got a prophecy last night at the Moonpool. I don't know what it's about, other that it involves me somehow, and apparently, all the Clans are going to be in danger because of something I do." She looked down miserably and added, "That's as near as I can figure, at least."

"What does it say?"

Looking around to make sure no one else was listening, she approached and hissed the prophecy in Tallfire's ear, which twitched as it received the alarming message. "Don't tell anyone!" she begged. "No one needs to know I'll mess up. They all think I will anyway."

"No cat thinks that," corrected Tallfire stubbornly. "You're friends with almost everyone in the Clan! Me, Briarpaw, Hawksong…" He trailed off. Snowfall knew he was out of names. "And besides that, you're in good standing with Hollytooth and Swiftstep, even if you don't talk to them very often."

"I'm not with Talonfoot."

"Talonfoot's hard on _everyone_!" snapped Tallfire. "I don't know what Snowfall you know, but I know a Snowfall who's a lot less flawed than she thinks she is. She's my best friend in the Clan!" He licked her between the ears fiercely, then sighed. "I should go. The dawn patrol will be wondering what's keeping me. I won't tell anyone about your prophecy," he added, seeing the request in Snowfall's eyes. "Talk to you later, Snow_fall_."

She waved her tail uncertainly, then sat down again and watched the water lap against the shore. Knowing that she would mess up enough to cause strife between the Clans wasn't a comfortable burden to carry. She just wished she knew _how _her downfall would be caused, since then she could avoid it.

_What are medicine cats forbidden to do? What might I do to disrupt the order of things?_

Medicine cats couldn't take mates. But there was hardly danger of her doing that anytime soon, after all. She was of mating age, but she didn't love anyone like that, and she very much doubted whether she ever would. Her mutual affection for Spottedbelly of ThunderClan was short-lived and much more like littermates than anything else for her, although she suspected there might have been something else in his case. That was before she had been apprenticed to Willowshine, though.

Frustrated, Snowfall stormed back to the RiverClan camp and, in a bad temper, returned to the den. Then she saw the stack of herbs Willowshine had said she wanted sorted. _Why do I always forget the important things? _She immersed herself in the mantra of herbs and their cures, hoping to forget the prophecy and the burden of knowledge that she would cause a war between the Clans.

**((I did my best to make Snowfall _not _a perfect character, but I hope I didn't make her too imperfect. Review if you haven't already, please!))**


	4. Chapter 2

_Fox dung!_

Snowfall cursed to herself as she got to her feet. She had thought fishing with Tallfire might calm her down a little, but her head was in the clouds (as usual) and she had fallen into the water. _Has it really been only a week…? _It felt like she had been carrying the burden of the war between the Clans for ages.

"You all right, Snowfall?" asked Tallfire, pushing through the reeds, twitching his whiskers when he saw her sitting in the creek and probably looking considerably more undignified than she would have liked.

"Yes, just fine," said Snowfall crossly, getting to her feet and shaking herself off, splattering her friend with water and purring with amusement as he backed off, looking annoyed. "You had it coming to you!" she added in her defense as he opened his jaws to argue.

"All right, yes I did," he sighed. "Come on, let's go dry off." He padded towards the sunlit lake shore, and Snowfall followed. The two did a quick check for Twolegs and, when none were discovered, lay down on the warm, rocky shore and closed their eyes for a little while.

Snowfall fell asleep fairly quickly. She hadn't been intending to take a nap, but now that the sun was so warm and the lake's sounds so soothing, she felt it easy to drift into dreams. Her nighttime dreams were fraught with meaning and shadows, but the sunlight eased her worries a little and let her feel carefree again.

When she awakened, Tallfire was standing over her. "I was about to wake you," he said, lowering a paw he had raised to poke her. "It's almost sundown. Come on, we should get back to the camp before cats start to worry!"

Stirring sleepily, Snowfall let out a huge yawn before getting to her feet and shaking out her pelt. "All right," she muttered, then suddenly got an idea. "Actually, you go. I have to go see StarClan."

"…Did you have a dream about the prophecy?"

"No," admitted Snowfall. "But—I've been thinking about it way too much. I need to go ask them what it means, or I'll never stop worrying for good." Now that the sunlight had started melting away, her brief burst of happiness was ebbing as well, and she felt her concerns returning. _Why did they choose _me _to be the one to start a war?_

"Well, okay," sighed Tallfire. "Do you want me to go with you?"

"No, it's all right." Snowfall was already bounding away towards the WindClan border. "Just tell the others where I've gone!" she called back, and relished the feel of the wind in her pelt as she raced towards the shore to avoid being called out for trespassing.

She slowed down, catching her breath and watching the sun sink below the horizon. As she kept walking, she was conscious of a bush trembling a little while ahead. "Who's there?" she called, hoping she didn't sound pretentious to call someone out in their own territory. "I'm— oof!"

A black-and-gray spotted she-cat that looked to be about Snowfall's age, maybe a little younger, pounced on her; Snowfall felt the breath knocked out of her as she hit the ground. Stars danced in her eyes as she shook her head to clear it. "Let me—up!" she growled with the scraps of air she could summon.

"Look, Scorchcloud, I caught a trespasser!"

The warrior she had called to, a black-and-white tom, sighed. "Flowerpaw…" he began. "That's not a trespasser. She's well within the tail-length of the shore—not to mention, she's a medicine cat. She's probably on her way to the Moonpool."

With a look of faint disappointment, Flowerpaw clambered off. "Right…" she said sullenly. "I guess we didn't get to find anything exciting this time."

"What's keeping you two?" called a light gray tabby she-cat, racing down the slope and skidding to a halt before them. "Who's this?" She glanced questioningly at Snowfall, opening her mouth a little to catch her scent. "RiverClan?"

"This is the RiverClan medicine cat apprentice," began Scorchcloud.

"I'm Snowfall," greeted Snowfall, giving her ruffled fur a couple hasty licks. "I have to travel to the Moonpool," she added. "Am I allowed to do that?" This was her first solitary trip to the Moonpool, after all. _I should have checked with Willowshine to make sure medicine cats are allowed to do this! _she wailed inwardly. _Everything occurs to me too late!_

Scorchcloud exchanged a glance with the new cat, then dipped his head. "We'll escort you," he decided, and started on his way, quickly followed by the other two and Snowfall.

A few moments passed in silence, the gray tabby padding next to her, before Snowfall asked timidly, "What's your name?"

"Me?" asked the cat. "Dawnbird." She sounded proud as she puffed out her chest and added, "I was made a warrior yesterday."

"Congratulations!" purred Snowfall. Even though this cat was from another Clan, she seemed nice enough. _Besides, I'm supposed to stand apart from the rivalry between Clan and Clan… right?_

"Thanks!" replied Dawnbird. "So how's life as a medicine cat apprentice?"

"Pretty boring," said Snowfall truthfully. "Just sorting herbs, really. We never have wounds to heal these days, so…" She trailed off. _But that'll change soon because of me._

"Yeah, I hear from Poppypaw that being a medicine cat isn't so great right now," responded Dawnbird. "She doesn't seem to think much of the Moonpool, either." She hesitated before adding, "Does StarClan really speak to you?"

Suppressing a shiver, Snowfall replied, "Yeah… they do."

"Wow!" Dawnbird's orange eyes shone in the fading light. "That's amazing!"

Snowfall gave a brief purr in reply, turning her attention to the ground. "So now that we've discussed being a medicine cat… how's being a warrior?"

"Great! I don't have to do apprentice chores anymore, first of all, and I don't have a mentor anymore to tell me what to do." She paused. "And, I… I can be with Scorchcloud now." She gave an embarrassed purr, and Snowfall blinked. Scorchcloud turned around, flicking his tail, and Dawnbird trotted forward and started an easy conversation.

_I wonder what it would be like to have a mate? _Snowfall was beginning to find herself envying the simplicity of Dawnbird's admiration. She knew such a life could never be hers, but it didn't stop her from seeing the affection on each cat's face when their pelts brushed and Snowfall was padding along the shores of the lake alone.

**((Dun dun dun! Foreshadowing!))**


	5. Chapter 3

Snowfall rested, panting, at the water's edge. Her run up the ridge had exhausted her; the stars had come out and twinkled down at her icily, and she cowered under their cold gaze. She had the feeling she wasn't supposed to be here—or worse, that StarClan despised her. _But I'm a medicine cat. _She comforted herself with the knowledge that at least Brambleberry didn't hate her, since she was always so gentle. She had been the one that had given the sign of the early snow to Willowshine, after all.

Lapping up a few drops of the Moonpool's shining waters, Snowfall waited for the trance with her eyes shut, but it never came. She was just beginning to panic when she opened her eyes and found herself in a place with four great oaks towering above her head. A lone cat awaited her in the center of the hollow; she dipped her head to him humbly as he spoke.

"Welcome," he growled, in a voice that said she had better have a good reason for coming here. All the limited confidence Snowfall had tried to store up for this moment vanished with that single word.

"I—" Snowfall swallowed. "I'm here about the prophecy."

"What about it?"

"How am I going to cause a war?"

The tom got an ugly look on his face (already marred from his twisted jaw), as though she couldn't have asked a worse question. Then, without a word, he started stalking away, ears flat back against his head.

"Wait!" Snowfall pursued him, annoyance sparking from every hair on her pelt. "Tell me. Then maybe I can avoid it!" _I don't want to hurt anyone. Surely StarClan doesn't want me to, either?_

"Avoidance," muttered the tom, without stopping or looking at Snowfall. "Brambleberry's gotten to you, hasn't she?"

"Yes," asserted Snowfall proudly. "She has."

"Huh!"

Snowfall got no further reply for the next several fox-lengths. Then she ventured, "So can you tell me wha—"

"No!" spat the tom, whirling around and clawing Snowfall's ear; she reeled back, hissing and feeling the blood well up in the tear. "I won't. She probably hasn't even _told _you about me, has she?" He sighed and sat down, and though his scent was of sorrow, his eyes flared with fury. "I am Crookedstar, leader of RiverClan from a time long ago. I led my Clan through times of great conflict, but there has been next to no fighting since the Dark Forest invaded many moons ago!"

"I-isn't that good?" stammered Snowfall.

"Our Clan has grown soft," responded Crookedstar. "I wanted to tell you the prophecy when you were a kit. I wanted to guide your pawsteps towards causing the war. But Brambleberry stole that opportunity from me." His voice was regretful. "She was the cat that helped my mother kit me… but our views on life have never been the same. Mapleshade saw to that."

Snowfall decided to ask no questions about this Mapleshade. "So you _want _a war to happen?" she asked. Everything she had ever assumed about StarClan was being challenged. _I thought StarClan wanted _peace_!_

"Yes. Avoiding it is the path of cowards," growled Crookedstar. "Clans must not think of one another as allies for this long. They are beginning to lose sight of what it means to be a warrior. We're no better than kittypets!"

"Warriors don't have to use force!" snapped Snowfall.

"Name one warrior that could hold his own in a fight against any Clan!" shot back Crookedstar. "Training warriors doesn't work if there are no battles that the mentors can remember fighting. Everything is theory; nothing is practice. Peace is not the way of Clan cats. Face it!"

Snowfall felt her claws slide out as the Clan she knew, and the Clan Crookedstar had once led, was insulted. A growl deepened in her throat and she leapt at Crookedstar with a furious yowl, determined to defend RiverClan to her dying breath. _How dare he say we're kittypets!_

Crookedstar sidestepped, and Snowfall crashed to the ground. Dazed, she rolled over onto her back, and the leader placed a single, huge paw on her chest.

"You see," he said with a superior air Snowfall hated. "Weak."

"I'm a medicine cat apprentice, not a warrior!" hissed Snowfall. _He's using_ me _as an example of why RiverClan is weak, when I've never formally trained for fighting?_

"You're the one trying to fight like one," growled Crookedstar, pressing his paw against her chest; she lashed out with her back legs, claws unsheathed, and felt them rip through thick, smooth fur. He recoiled and she swiped her paw down his face; he barely drew back in time. _I've got him on the defensive!_

She thought too soon, though; a gigantic paw bowled her over again and she was left with a paw at her throat and no belly to scratch. Looking up at Crookedstar helplessly, she thought she saw a glimmer of pity there, but she was too riled up to care.

"You were meant to be a warrior," he sighed. "You have a lot of potential. But I decreed that you should be a medicine cat—and the word of a leader is the warrior code." Snowfall could barely breathe beneath the weight of his paw as he continued, "The war could happen even if you were just a warrior, but I warn you: since you are a medicine cat, the way in which you restore the rightful Clans will be much more painful for you."

"Why—do you—hate me?" asked Snowfall with the little breath she could summon. _Why did he make me a medicine cat if it's going to be more painful for me? I've never done anything to _him_!_

"I don't hate you, _dear one_," snapped Crookedstar, mocking Brambleberry's epithet for her. "The other reason I made you a medicine cat was the fact that since you will cause a war anyway and StarClan will call Willowshine to their ranks sooner than you may think, I figured you might as well have the skills to heal the Clans after you reinforce their borders."

He pressed his paw against her throat harder, and Snowfall felt herself blacking out. His final words echoed in her ears: "The way will be hard, Snowfall, but I know you're capable of dealing with it."

**((Okay, never mind, I totally forgot I had this chapter done! I hope this one will sustain you throughout my hopefully-brief hiatus…))**


	6. Author's Note

**((I bit off a little more than I could chew with this one— I'm putting it on hold till I get in a more Warriors mood again! Sorry. For now, I'm working on another Homestuck fanfic…))**


End file.
